Army accuses 82nd Airborne brig. general of sex crimes

The Army has accused an 82nd Airborne brigadier general of sexualcrimes, adultery and other offenses over inappropriate relationshipswith several women under his command, U.S. military officials saidtoday.

The Fayetteville Observer liststhe charges: forcible sodomy; wrongful sexual conduct; attemptedviolation of an order; violations of regulations by wrongfully engagingin inappropriate relationships and misusing a government travel chargecard; violating general orders by possessing alcohol and pornographywhile deployed; maltreatment of subordinates; filing fraudulent claims;engaging in conduct unbecoming an officer and a gentleman; and engagingin conduct prejudicial to good order and discipline, or of a nature tobring discredit upon the armed forces.

Sinclair, whose 27-yearcareer has included three deployments to Afghanistan, two tours in Iraqand one tour in the first Gulf war, now faces an Article 32investigation, the military equivalent of a preliminary hearing, todetermine if he should be court-martialed.

The Army did not sayin May exactly why Sinclair was relieved of command and recalled. A FortBragg official said only that it was "a criminal investigation," The Fayetteville Observer reported at the time.

AP says a Fort Bragg spokesman would not take questions today after announcing the charges at a brief news conference, saying they must be submitted in writing.